Notions (Advice to Freshers)

I was en route to my department for my first class and I took the path of the Venue for the Post Utme. Those writing today are Medicine students and by God, they are quite larger than other days.

The ride through which most were conveyed to the University were stationed along the road and even in front of the hostel closest to the library. The candidates were lined up and parents were fussing over their kids, reminding them of their reprinting slips, jamb slips, passports, and whatnots.

I could see the awe of the school in some of the candidates eye. Afterall, I was in their shoes a couple of years ago. The University would be looking like a brand new world for them. They'd have been thinking that they got into this brand new world that is so huge.

Truthfully, It's another world, and seems big. However, it's not actually as big as it had been on the first day of arrival. Soon, if one got admitted, everywhere becomes familiar with everything.

The crowd today had been bigger than other days. Probably cos it's medicine, Pharmacy and all these professional courses. The unfortunate thing is that not all of them are going to get in.

I wanted to delve into a conversation with them. So that it will come to their notice that time runs both fast and slow once they get admission.
That they should decide what they want to become on graduation, and this is not only on academics per se.
That there's actually no time, once you resume the First semester, you'd be in the final semester before you blink
That there should be a direction one is going towards
That building networks and connections starts on the First Year
That it's better you get control of your first year in combining academics and extra curricular
That it's not advisable to be only focused on one activity throughout ones stay in the Institution
That even if one doesn't get that s/he had Registered for, that one can make the most out of the alternative

Unfortunately, I couldn't but I was able to talk to a new friend I made when she came for her Post Utme. She is an artist and can design shoes and clothes.
I told her to start marketing from her first year
To make the most out of her status and social media handles since she's already doing something
That she should start advertising her brand from her first day in school

She had told me that she wanted to switch from Marketing to Creative Arts as she liked to draw. I advised her against it, that she should indulge in her passion via drawing whilst getting a degree in marketing.
That she could actually enroll in online schools for learning her craft and then market it through her Social media accounts.
That it's better she goes for the marketing so that she will be thought the art of marketing in which she would use to market her arts.
And I told her, that even if she doesn't get admission, she should begin advertising her brand on Social Media

Time waits for no one
The world is moving fast as it is
Nobody cares what you studied, but how you will solve their problems.

I would have loved to tell the Aspiring Undergraduates all of these things
Cos they probably won't explain it in detail to them on orientation
They'd be most likely told, get good grades and get a skill
But not told how to go about it
Certainly, University would be supposedly stressful
But if one doesn't manage the stress and make something out of oneself,
It's going to be very difficult on graduation.
The world is evolving, and if one doesn't catch on to the tide, the current might sweep one off.
That's the reality!